At the Animal Hospital of Statesville, we have written out in a form that we talk about. There are risks, but the more important thing is that we're doing everything we can to minimize those risks and make the procedure as safe as possible for your cat. We also weigh the risk of anesthesia to the benefit of the procedure, so that's critical. We don't sedate a pet or anesthetize a pet just to do it. We're doing that for the benefit of whether they need surgery or they need dental disease is taken care of or different things for their health.

Often, clients are worried about anesthesia, and they're concerned about their pet dying, and that's a genuine concern a lot of our clients can have. That risk, while it is possible, is extremely low. I think the percentages given are for dogs, 0.05%, and cats, 0.1%., so they’re really low. The more common side effects are still not common, but we might see if they have any underlying conditions that we either know or don't know about, heart disease being a big one. We’re sedating the cat and taking away a lot of their normal functions, and we're controlling their breathing, so heart disease and kidney disease can play a role.

That depends on the type of anesthesia used, of course. A lot of other factors go into that. In general, when pets come into the Animal Hospital of Statesville, and they're anesthetized, it might take 12 to 24 hours until they're back to themselves. That might depend on their age and the length of anesthesia. But you won't have to carry them out of the hospital. They'll be awake and conscious and ready to go home and be by themselves for a little while.

Many times, we give pain medication before surgery, during surgery, and after surgery. And that would come in the form of injections. And then afterward, we would send you home with something that you would either give by mouth or transdermal is favored in cats. That way, you don't have to shove anything down their mouth. And that means it's absorbed through their skin. Many times, cats tolerate that better, and it's easier to give.

When you're traveling to the vet, the less stress you can provide for your cat, the better off they are. If they don't come in stressed, they often require less sedation for certain procedures. And then also, we'll talk to you about perhaps withholding food the night before a procedure of anesthesia.